Yui Staav adjusted his armor as he stood beside his brother, Alistair. Their first shift as King's Guard reserves was both an honor and a burden. They certainly were now part of King Heirut’s personal bodyguards… but their position in the market alley was a little bit too reminiscent of their old job.
"Quite the sight, isn't it?" Alistair spoke, his voice still optimistic as they watched King Heirut's procession from the perimeter.
"Certainly," Yui replied quietly, his eyes straining to see any notable part of the parade from their far-off vantage point.
"Oi! You two!" Hrong, a loud-mouthed dwarf who served as a partner to the brothers, got their attention. "Northeast. Atop the Clock Tower. You see it?"
Yui turned his head towards Kathara’s clock tower. Sure enough, a group of black robed figures appeared to be watching the procession from above.
“Looks like they got the best seat in the house,” Alistair commented.
“If there was anyone allowed up there, we’d know about it,” Yui observed. “Let’s go investigate.”
The three of them marched quickly towards the clock tower, leaving the casual boredom of the perimeter behind. As they climbed the tower's spiral staircase, Alistair's heavy breathing echoed in the cramped space.
When they arrived, they noticed something strange – the figures were no longer there, instead leaving behind black, powdery remains on the tower’s floor.
"Nothing but ash." Yui muttered. A chilling unease crept through him, settling in his gut.
"Whaddya think happened here?" Hrong scratched his head, perplexed.
“Black magick. Gotta be.” Yui got up from the ground. “They couldn’t have left the tower on foot in the time that it took us to get here. We would’ve met them on the way down.”
“If it’s black magick…” Alistair muttered, “Then, that must mean…”
Suddenly, a desperate cry pierced the air, shattering the silence like glass. "Ambush!"
"The king!" Alistair roared, his fear drowned out by a sudden call for duty.
The three of them raced down the tower and into the chaos below. Yui's heart pounded in his ears as the assassin’s pounced on top of the parade. One by one, the guards of the procession fell, their lifeless bodies staining the cobblestone red.
"Stay close!" Yui commanded to the others.
"Right behind you!" Alistair replied, parrying an approaching assassin with lethal precision.
"God save the king!" Hrong bellowed, his small but powerful frame barreling through the assassins like a battering ram.
Yui's sharp eyes darted along the carnage of the road until finally they spotted King Heirut, sitting vulnerable in his carriage. With a heightened sense of dexterity, Yui jumped ahead of the others, slaying an assassin along the way as he finally reached the king..
"Your Majesty!" Yui called out, reaching towards the terrified monarch. "We'll take you to safety!"
"Oh, thank Therita!" the old man gasped, relief flooding his features as he took Yui’s hand and followed him.
As the three guards escorted the king through the carnage, Yui couldn't help but wonder why such an attack would occur. All kings had enemies, but such an attack was unprecedented in Kathara’s history. Then the question occurred… who could be behind it?